Treatment for seasickness.



C. G. DEGMANT TREATMENT Fo'n SEASICKNESS. APPLICA'TION'FILED JULY 28. i916.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918. Fig 2.1. .2.v

'5 Z 33 I [6% M MVZM UNITED STATES P TENT; OFFICE,

CLARENCE G. DEGMAN, or CINCINNATI, 01:10

TREATMENT FOR S EASIGKNESSA' .Lpp1ication fi1edlfuly28,1916. seria1u6.:111,877.

To all whom it may concern;

lle it lmown that I, CLARENCE.G. DEG; MAN, a, citizen of the United States, and a' resident of Cincinnati, in the county of llamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Treatment forSeasickness. of which the following isa speciiication.

My invention relates to bandages and topical remedies, and has for its object the prevention or alleviation of the symptoms caused when the body is subjected to a continued heaving or rolling motion, as on board vessels, trains, cars or other vehicles,-

and commonly known as sea sickness.

My invention consists in the method, and in the apparatus for carrying out said method, as will herein be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing: I

Figure l is side view of a body, showing how the apparatus is applied thereto;

" a. front view of the same;

Fig. 5; Fig, 3 a, view of the other side of the U body, showing the arrangement of the"apparatus on this side;

' a front tom the body;

5 is a partial-sin'iilar view, showing cation; and is a view similar to Fig showing another modification.

As shown herein, the apparatus which I apply in carrying out my t: sickness comprises a pad 1 ch is preferabl z madeofa single sl 1 of heavy blotting paper of a highly porous consistency, and a-Web 2, preferably made of gauze such as surgeons use for bandages- The pad 1 may be simply rectangularin' shape, and of sufiicient length to eiitend entirely across thefront 01 the abdomen, and of suffi'cient width to extend from the extreme of the apparatus lower part of the abdomen at the pelvis, up.

past the epigastrie region. l

The Web 2 may be of'somewhat less Width than the pad 1, and is passed horizontally across the front side of the pad, and is of from the opposite ends of the pad, to pass ,in opposite directions around the waist.

When the pad and web are thus related, the arrangement of the web as it is passed left'side across the upper part of the pad meet for sea Patented Dec. 3, 1918,

around the'body is preferablybs shown in Figs. 1, 2and3. The length 3 of the web at the left i's passed to the left and somewhat downwardly around the back, and thence aroundthe right side and across the lower part of the pad 1 and around the left side to the back again; while the length 4 at the right is passed to the right and somewhat upwardly, and around the 1,;and then downwardly around the right side to the back, Whereit meets the other length 1 3. These meeting parts of the lengths ande may be fastened together by any suitable means, as by tying them, or by pinning them as shown herein. This latter is preferable because it is less bulky and therefore more comfortable to the wearer. lit

is, deemed better than any special straps or if";

all of the abdominal viscera; but without distorting any of them, or forcing them into any abnormal position. The result is a relief from disturbance of the solar plexus, which occurs iii-those individuals subject to sea sickness owing to the normally mobile condition of their viscera, and to the motion imparted thereto under such conditions as herein above alluded to.

One of the characteristics of my improved {method 'is this uniform compression of all of the abdominal viscera, rather than the application of pressure to ar y particular organ or part of the abdominal region. his the general understanding thatthe symptoms of .sea sickness manifest themselves as a disturbance of the solar plexus, and as the immediate results of such disturbance. But any method or apparatus involvin a local- ,ized pressure in the epigas'tric region only, While no doubt alleviating the symptoms of sea sickness in those individuals subject thereto, is extremely liable to be attended with such' a distortion and displacement of adjacent organs as to result in ailments more permanent and more serious than see sickness. Also, the localized pressure in the epigastric region, without anyeflective pres sure on the other organs of the abdomen, must be excessive in degree, and be there fore liable to cause injury in the immediate region of the pressure; especially if the apparatus be worn for aconsiderable length of time, as during an ocean voyage. Apparatus that-localizes its pressure in the lower regions of the abdomen, as at the sides and in a downward direction, is ex-- tremely dangerous to the health of the wearer, especially if the wearer be a woman, or any person aillicted with or with a tendency to hernia.

With my method, and the apparatus peculiar thereto, the pressure on the abdomen is almost entirely backward, and where not entirely backward, is in such direction that it tends to counteract displacement of the abdominal organs, notably in the lower abdomen, where the pressure is slightly "upward as well as backward, thus tendingto support the organs of the lower abdomen and counteract any tendency due to weakness of the tissues of the abdominal walls or due to any abnormal conditions of the organs.

In addition to this uniform application of pressure throughout the abdominal re gion, my method involves the absorption of the perspiration in this region, and, prefer ably, a mild application of an antispasmedic, such as camphor. For this reason,

as well as in order to secure'the most uniform distribution of pressure, it is highly important that the pad 1. should be brought directly in contact with the skin of the abdomen, without the interpostion of even the thinnest article of clothing. The result of this is to remove the deleterious influence of the poisonous substances in the perspiration, which, if allowed to accumulate on the surface of the skin during the disturbances leading to sea sickness, are liable to add their effect to those of the disturbances. Similarly, by providing such antispasmodic and allowing itto be absorbed by the tissues thus freed of the perspiration, the medicinal effect is added to the surgical effect in the immediate region where the greatest benefit is to be derived from the use of the antispasmodic.

The above described absorption of the perspiration is readily accomplished when the pad 1. is made of highly porous and moderately heavy blotting paper as hereinbefore described. When the antispasmodic is to be provided, I prefer to impregnate the. porous pad 1 with a suitable preparation of this kind. If camphor is used, a sutiicient impregnation may be accomplished by storing the sheets of blotting paper in intimate contact with pieces of camphor gum;

. as by placing the pieces between the sheets.

' blotting paper comprising the pad 1 is left intact, and the web 2, passing across the front of the sheet, may be separated from the sheet. However, as shown, the web material is preferably attached to the sheet by bits of suitable adhesive 5, as seen in Fig. 4.

The material of this adhesive must be salubrious, (316186 it must be insoluble in the perspiration; since any adhesive material that, when absorbed by the skin, will pro-,

duoe any irritation or any tendency toincreased nervousness of the wearer, will to that extent offset the effect of the remedy. For this reason, when an, adhesive is used, I prefer to make it of pure gum, such'as gum arable. It is highly desirable to have the web 2 attached to the pad 1 in proper position relative thereto, for the convenience of the wearer, and to insure a proper disposition of the web to attain the even pressure according to my method.

The use of an adhesive may be avoided by providing the pad 1 with upright slits 6 as shown in Fig. 5 near opposite ends, of

outside the web and the major middle part lying under the web.

A simpler way of slitting the pad is shown in Fig. 6, where thepad 1" has short] oblique slits 'l-above and below in each end and diverging inwardly toward the middle of the pad, so that short triangular tongues 8 are left at the top and bottom under which the upper/and lower edges, respectively, of the web 2 are passed. This "method of fastoning the web 2 to the pad than that of Fig. 5, ecause, the material of the pad bein easil torn, the tongues 8 are not very su stantial. It will be understood however, t hat after the device is properly applied to the body, there is no strain on any of these means for fastening the web to the pad.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for treating sea sickness comprising a pad to be applied to the abdominal region, and a permeable web to be passed transversely across the front of said pad, substantially midway between its top and bottom, and to be passed around the body, and again across the front of said pad, respectively near the top. and near the bottom of the pad, whereby saidpad is caused to press the abdomen inwardly and slightly is less desirable 110 upwardly; substantially throughout the extent of the pad, and means for fastening sa1d web .thus'passed' around the pad and.

body.

2'. Apparatus for treating sea sickness comprising a sheet of porous paper, and. permeable means for pressing said sheet evenly throughout its extent against the skin of the abdominal region. 4

3. Apparatus for treating sea sickness comprising a sheet of porouspaper impregnated with an 'antispasrnodio, and permeable means .for pressing' said' sheet evenly throughout its extent against the skin of the abdominal region.

4. Apparatus for treating sea sickness comprising a sheet of porous paper impreg- -nated with camphor, and permeable means CLARENCE G. DEGMAN.

Witnesses I-JAMES N. RAMSEY, CLARENCE Pnmmw. 

